So. Really good presents for men that are NOT...

[monkeymamma]

Hip flasks (why do magazines think men want endless hip flasks?)
Books about gin (look, gin is all very well, but who wants to READ about it?!!)
Scarves, gloves, hats (as I've done these items many times over)
Toiletry sets they won't use
Novelty games, puzzles etc.

I have some very lovely men in my life (BILs, boyfriends of much-loved nieces) and I don't want to burden them with stuff they don't need or want, but I don't know them well enough to say, choose a book for them.

What presents in the £15-20 range can you get for men that are genuinely useful and not gimmicky or purely decorative (as I don't know many men who genuinely want decorative stuff...)?

All ideas received with interest and thanks!

Fantastic suggestions all round, my amazon basket is very full now.

My late Granny bless her was a big fan of giving men car de-icer and scrapers at Xmas. 🤷🏻‍♀️

I scored highly on my OH's gifts last year, so am in serious trouble this year in trying to achieve anything close. But, in case it helps, here's what he loved ...

Stemless wine glasses - although it was a late realisation and the immediate reaction was "why?"
A Joseph garlic rocker - garlic crusher the all metal one
A wine aerator - I found one that looks like the Le Creuset one in the sale for little more than a fiver
A battery charge tester - he's a keen photographer and this has saved acres of time. The one I bought is out of stock, but similar are available.

Help... I don't understand the grid it thing

Where do you put them? In your case? Good for travellers but not sure who else

Frequent travellers including commuters.

Am reading through with interest, as I have quite a few menfolk to buy for.
I do find it curious that people buy their spouse/partner a voucher though, given the money might come out of the same account. Having said that, I guess that's the same for any presents but with vouchers I do see them more as cash.

What do want for Xmas?
Nothing
I’m not getting you nothing.
Really, nothing
How about a new jacket? Yours has holes in
I like my jacket ...
* spends a week tracking down the exact same fucking jacket*

The op who said that men just want a new one of what they have is right :)

Things I've got my OH over time that he's liked:

A tube of gallium (soft metal that turns liquids in your hand)
A knife sharpener
Annual ticket to the tank museum
Sugru
And now my mind has gone blank...

Egg poachers = genius. Stolen!

Ordered wallet ninja for ds1 and dh. Thanks for the idea.

Presents I have got dh that have gone down well:

Meat tenderiser
Chunk of Parma Ham and an electric slicer from Lakeland
Posh bottle of port
Subscription to Olive

I thought the suggestion about replacing what they've already got was genius - until I did a double check with DH whether there was anything he wanted before hitting the shops - only to be told 'nothing in particular but not clothes'. Back to the drawing board! (The wooden glasses holder went down well last year for him and he's very hard to please!)

Meant to say last year I got my husband a subscription to The Spicery curry club. Basically every month he gets an email to choose one of four menus and he picks and they send recipe cards and freshly ground herbs and spices to make the curry meal for four with three or four side dishes. They also give you the first month’s to wrap up for Christmas Day so it’s not just the voucher or print out.

It looks expensive but I got a year with Black Friday Not on the High Street deal and Quidco for around £42. It’s been brill - he’s always wanted to learn how to make ‘proper’ curry, I’ve had a year of amazing food (best chicken satay I’ve ever eaten the month he did street food!) and it means it get used rather than when you spend £20 on herbs and spices for one thing you’ve found in a cook book, use a teaspoon of each and then they sit in the cupboard forevermore.

They do various cuisines and deals from one off boxes to 3,6,12 month subscriptions. I bought myself their baking box (3 months) and that was ace too.

www.thespicery.com

Wooden glasses holder as in spectacles? Not wine glasses?
My dh might like that. Can you link?

@singadream can't seem to link from eBay - just search on wooden glasses holder - pic below

Esker one sister buys uncle olive oil, the other finds some great apple cider vinegar.

Thanks @secondhoneymoon

Look up True Utility on Amazon for some high quality useful stuff on key rings. E.g a waterproof metal cash holder that is about an inch long. I have one that holds £20 folded and rolled up for emergency cash.

Books, music (vinyl?), box sets, geeky board game, clothes!

Or a Resqme - also keychain one. Cut seat belt and smash car window in an emergency.
I have one of these two.

I mean these too, not these two.

@shhhfastasleep I bought the key ring emergency cash holders for the children last year - they're a great idea. Actually might get one for DH as he doesn't always take his wallet when he plays sport

I can definitely recommend the Aeropress coffee thing. Husband loves his, and there isn't precious worktop space taken up by his coffee machine anymore.

Also, for loose tea lovers who can't be faffed with a teapot or the fiddly little individual tea strainers, these Pao mugs from whittards are bloody brilliant.

Bought them both for my husband and he bought duplicates to take to work with him too.

Board games always go down well here too. Cards against Humanity, Exploding Kittens, Very British Problems Card game, Trivial Pursuit have all been popular.

FiL likes things like books, lego, handy bits and pieces like a new lunch box and tea flask for his volunteering (bus driver, we also bought him a bus driver hat as a joke too which he loved!)

BiL's always get fancy chocolates or smelly stuff, simply because they wouldn't normally buy themselves those things and so it feels like a treat for them. One BiL is getting a new knob for his gear stick this year.

..

I've never seen anything in a magazines gifts for men that I want. I like cds, DVDs, books or things I would use regularly. My wife hates buying me this stuff because it isn't special.